Esperance de Tunis were held to a draw (1-1) on Friday at the March 7 stadium in Ben Guerdane. Facing a combative home side, the Blood and Gold could only manage a draw in their 9th league match. The game was marked by constant intensity but also by regrets from the Esperance camp.
From the first whistle, Laurentiu Reghecampf’s men showed their intent by pressing the USBG defense. However, it was against the run of play that the home side took the lead. A defensive error by Esperance allowed Houssem Eddine Habbassi to beat goalkeeper Memmiche in the 10th minute, giving his team the advantage.
After the goal, Ben Guerdane adopted a rigid defensive approach, sitting deep to protect their lead. Esperance, despite their efforts to mix long-range shots with forays into the box, couldn’t break down this stubborn defense before the break.
Aware of the stakes, coach Reghecampf made two substitutions at half-time to inject some life into his team. The Blood and Gold were more enterprising, but a scare came in the 55th minute when Bouchniba’s risky back pass almost gifted USBG a second goal. Fortunately, the opposing striker missed his chance.
The equalizer came in the 59th minute courtesy of Youcef Belaïli. From a well-worked free-kick with Yan Sasse, the Algerian unleashed a powerful shot that beat the goalkeeper. Esperance were level at 1-1.
Buoyed by this goal, the Blood and Gold went all out for a winner. Rodrigues missed a golden opportunity in the 81st minute, surprised by the ball’s trajectory. Then, in the 87th minute, Meriah’s header hit the crossbar, leaving the Esperance fans frustrated.
In the dying minutes, the game became frantic, and despite dominating possession, Esperance couldn’t find a breakthrough.
With this draw, Esperance de Tunis missed the chance to climb the table and will need to quickly regroup. All eyes are now on their crucial Champions League match on Tuesday. It’s an opportunity for the Blood and Gold to set things right and return to winning ways on the continental stage.
EST lineup: Memmiche, Bouchniba (Ben Ali 60’), Ben Hamida, Jelassi, Meriah (c), Tka, Ogbelu (Aholou 46’), Sasse (Konaté 79’), Maâcha (Bouguerra 46’), Belaïli (Derbali 84’) and Rodrigues.
Booked: Bouchniba.